Recommended simple upper body exercise device

[bushmaster1313]

Anyone know of a good, simple, inexpensive upper body exercise device? I remember seeing something decades ago that was a bit like an archery bow. It was a double tube with a spring inside and a cord on either side. You could pull the cords apart or squeeze the ends of the two tubes.

I do not enjoy working with dumb bells (no pun intended)

 

[ContinentalOp]

I use the floor for push-ups and a pull-up bar that mounts in a doorway. The only other piece of equipment I'd like to get is a set of dip bars.

 

[snubbyfan]

Go to Amazon.com and look up "BullWorker." There's lotsa stuff you can do with it.
I use one when we can't make it to the gym.

 

[johngalt]

Push-ups and swimming. Swimming is a great strength builder.

 

[American1776]

Arthur Jones, the inventor of Nautilus exercise machines and an expert on exercise physiology, has written that a person can get very close to achieving their genetic limits of muscle mass and strength, from doing chin-ups and bar dips. The chin up is like the upper body squat; it works the lats, rear delts, biceps, and serratus muscles. When you can do 10 reps with body weight, add plates with a weight belt. Do the same with dips. I currently do 10 chin-ups with a 25 lbs plate hanging from a belt.

When you can do 10 chin-ups with 45 lbs plate on your waist, and 10 dips with 100 lbs plate from your waist, you’ll be as strong and as muscular as you can possibly imagine. No barbells or dumbbells or silly machines needed.

 

[snubbyfan]

Arthur Jones, the inventor of Nautilus exercise machines and an expert on exercise physiology, has written that a person can get very close to achieving their genetic limits of muscle mass and strength, from doing chin-ups and bar dips. The chin up is like the upper body squat; it works the last, rear delts, biceps, and serratus muscles. When you can do 10 reps with body weight, add plates with a weight belt. Do the same with dips. I currently do 10 chin-ups with a 25 lbs plate hanging from a belt.

When you can do 10 chin-ups with 45 lbs plate on your waist, and 10 dips with 100 lbs plate from your waist, you’ll be as strong and as muscular as you can possibly imagine. No barbells or dumbbells or silly machines needed.

I used to do bunches of chin ups, dips, pushups and crunches back in my rock climbing days.


I'd always draw a crowd at the crag when I'd do one arm pullups up a rock face.
I may just start trying to integrate chin ups and dips back into my workouts again.

 

[Texas Star]

I do lifts with a .303 rifle that help my arm muscles. Weighs about 9.5 pounds, and I can still watch YouTube or TV as I lift.

I don't know a lot about exercise, but I listened seriously to model Candice Swanepoel (see Wikipedia, etc.) in an interview and she told how she stays so trim. Impressive, and she has a trainer to coach her. She said that if confined to a single exercise that'd do most for her, she'd choose squats. But she is working from a very feminine perspective. I'm not sure if her comments apply to male fans. But your wife or daughter may well enjoy her videos on YouTube. Actually, men may enjoy those, too, and not just the ones giving exercise and makeup tips.

 

[American1776]

I used to do bunches of chin ups, dips, pushups and crunches back in my rock climbing days.


I'd always draw a crowd at the crag when I'd do one arm pullups up a rock face.
I may just start trying to integrate chin ups and dips back into my workouts again.

A one arm pull-up is something I could never do. You’re an impressive athlete.

Here’s my last powerlifting meet. Made 295 bench. Weighed 175 that day.

 

[snubbyfan]

A one arm pull-up is something I could never do. You’re an impressive athlete.

Here’s my last powerlifting meet. Made 295 bench. Weighed 175 that day.

That was more than a coupla decades ago. I was between 140 and 145 pounds then.
Since then a motor nerve condition nearly put me in a wheelchair but I relearned to walk and I've been going to the gym. I haven't been able to do chin ups or dips because of it but I really haven't tried lately. I'm 156 pounds right now and we're heading to the gym tomorrow. I just may try and see what happens.

 

[bushmaster1313]

Go to Amazon.com and look up "BullWorker." There's lotsa stuff you can do with it.
I use one when we can't make it to the gym.

Yup
This is what I remember

 

[soFlaNative]

10lb. sledgehammer. Tossed from hand to hand, great for light stretching moving right into as intense as one would like to get. The weight increases depending at which point the handle is grasped. I should take my own advice and pick up again.
At one point I could hold by the tip of the handle and bring it straight overhead from behind then then with my arm straight out bring the head down to my nose using just my wrist. Not all that impressive but it was fun.
I agree with the previous post on push ups and swimming.

 

[Kevin J.]

The TRX strap system will allow you to work your entire upper body easily and efficiently. Search it on Amazon and you will find numerous reasonably priced versions.

[ame="https://www.amazon.com/TRX-Training-Suspension-Lightest-Outdoors/dp/B01LXL27XI/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?s=exercise-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1524487379&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=TRX&psc=1"]Amazon.com : TRX Training - GO Suspension Trainer Kit, Lightest, Leanest Suspension Trainer Ever - Perfect for Travel and Working Out Indoors & Outdoors (Black) : Sports & Outdoors[/ame]

 

[nodpete]

I've always had good results using a 16 oz. beer bottle ! The good thing is , is that it gets easier to lift as you go.

 

[rustythread]

Do not bring this up with your spouse--she will hand you a vacuum cleaner and a window washer.

 

[johngalt]

Saw a couple guys doing a very intense routine, you have to be very strong/lean, and a high ceiling.

Start out with a neutral grip pull-up, pause at the top, then pull through into a dip and push the rest of up. Repeat.

No way I could ever hope to do that.

 

[V1 Rotate]

Less fashionable nowadays is the wheel roller, a simple wheel on a length of pipe with handles on it. Get on your knees and roll it out in front of you till your chest is parallel to the ground. A butt kicking core and shoulder strength builder. I guarantee you will build strength as quick as anything mentioned, but don't expect to do more than a few when you start.

A bodyweight program including pushups, pullups,planks, the wheel roll, squats and lunges will build more real, useable strength and flexibility than exercises sitting down at weight machines no matter how much weight you push on them.
Bill S

 

[Farmer17]

Yes like others say dips, reverse grip chin-ups, and push ups are great. I bench pressed 315 lbs at 50 years old but now at 59 I don't do anything near that much and even push ups are hard on my shoulders unless I do them on my knees. I had a Chuck Norris Total Gym when I was younger and it really didn't offer enough resistance back then but now it might be a really good workout for me.

 

[Texas Star]

No one has mentioned fencing, which is good exercise, whether with foil, epee, or saber. Hard on the knees, though.

The most impressive male exercise I've seen lately was in one of the, "Fifty Shades" movies, where the guy playing Christian Grey pulled himself up into a horizontal position, holding a table with his hands. That amazed me. If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it. And it wasn't done with computer animation! Actor Jamie Dornan is really that fit!

The Irish actor also fakes a US accent quite well. Liam Neeson can do that, but I think Dornan is better at it.

 

[ladder13]

May I suggest you join a local gym that has quality personal trainers, or have one come to your home if you can’t get out, your health is worth it.
Many gyms such as mine offer a free evaluation, not a bad idea to at least get you going. Oh, don’t forget to let your doctor know.

 

[Kevin J.]

A benefit of commercial gyms that Ladder13 forgot to mention is yoga pants. Most of the time anyway....